Random drabbles and oneshots
by xxsweetest.sinxx
Summary: A random collection of one-shots to honor the pairings and characters of One Tree Hill. NEW: As she stares back and forth between the two girls that still consume the majority of his heart, he can't help but wonder, is it possible to love two people at the same time? Brooke/Lucas/Peyton love triangle.
1. Broken

Title: Broken

Pairing: Chase/Alex

Heartbreak… He'd felt it before. His first love Brooke Davis broke his heart and his long-time girlfriend Mia Catalano shattered his world. But it had never hurt like this. He loved her. Alex Dupree was the first girl that he truly loved; that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But she chose music over him.

The liquid slides down his throat, burning his insides. But he doesn't care. He's numb.

"Hey bar tender…"

He snaps his head up; amber eyes meeting dark brown.

"Alex… what are you doing here?" his voice is shaky and he is confused as hell.

"I had a few days off… I thought we could talk," she whispers, almost painfully.

"Well talk," he states flatly, broad arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sorry," she replies automatically. "I saw an opportunity and I know I should have talked to you first but I…"

"That one sounds familiar," he replies, tipping his head back and letting another shot of poison slide down his throat. He'd heard that line with Mia before.

"Look," she states harshly. "I am sorry. But you have to understand why I did this. I waited for you while you were in the marines…"

"Not the point," he returns angrily. "I am done dating musicians because in the end they always end up leaving you."

"I want you to come on tour with me," she responds, a small smile spreading across her face. "That way we can be together..."

He looks at her almost as if he is contemplating her idea before angrily shaking his head. "Alex, my life is here. My friends are here. Chuck is here. I can't just leave…"

"If you love me, you'll come."

"If you love me, you'll stay," he responds flatly, not backing down this time. He was done being toyed with.

"I can't…"

"Then it looks like we're done."

"Chase…" she responds shakily, tears escaping the corners of her dark brown eyes. "I love you so much."

"Apparently not enough," he sighs. "Look Alex, if you walk through that door again just know that we are done forever."

"You're being selfish…"

"I'm being selfish!" Chase yells, outraged. "Alex, I gave up my dream of being a fighter pilot in the marines for you! And just when we are finally happy and together, you get up and go on tour! That is selfish!"

"But…I…"

"Make your choice Alex. I love you but I am sick of hurting. It's me or the music."

"I'm sorry Chase…"

"I get it," he nods, dismissing her with his hand. "I think I'm going to join the marines again for a while anyways. Maybe live out my dreams too. But just know that when you return, I won't be waiting for you."

"I'm sorry," she whispers yet again. "For causing you so much pain…"

"It's okay," he shrugs, knocking back another shot. "It wasn't meant to be."

She nods, shooting him a sad smile, before turning around. "See you around bar tender," she mumbles.

As he watches the girl he desperately loves walk away, he can't help but feel a piece of his already broken heart break. He isn't sure how much more he can take before he's completely broken.

AN: So, this is my first stab at FF. I'm more into doing one shots than actual full length stories so I thought I'd make a collective of ones shots and short sniplets. Generally, all one shots in this collection will be between 500 to 1000 words. I wanted to start off with this Chase/Alex piece because I've been watching the new season and as an avid Chase/Alex shipper, I was quite disappointed that she left and I feel bad for Chase because he's always getting his heart broken right when he finally finds happiness so this is what I think he might be feeling if Alex were to ever come back. I've already written a few pieces for this story but I'd like to see what people want. I have a Victoria one, a Brooke/Chase one, a Brucas one, an angsty Leyton one, a Brooke/Clay one, a Skills one, a Bevin/Tim/Skills one, and a Brooke/Peyton one. So, please let me know which one you guys would like to see next. And also, if you have any requests message me or leave the request in a review. Please, please review because I'm new at this and I'd like as much feedback as possible!


	2. Not Like The Movies

Title: Not Like the Movies

Pairing: Brooke/Lucas

Hazel eyes scan the room, landing on a pair of distant baby blues. She feels the pain stabbing at her chest. His words vibrate in her ears, playing over and over again like a film reel. "You told me to fight for you and I did. But you never fought for me…" Never fought for you? The audacity the blonde has to even think that, let alone say it out loud. Never fought for him? All she did was fight for him. But a person can only fight for so long. And she was sick of fighting a battle that she was destined to lose. Instead she replied with a simple… "And I'm not going to." She knew that she didn't stand a chance against his beloved Peyton Sawyer. She was like some kind of saint to him. And he would never stop fighting for Peyton Sawyer.

They might not be dating right now but Brooke knows that it will only be a matter of time until they are. They are emotionally connected to each other; one in the same. In fact, the whole time that she was dating Lucas, she felt like she was just dating the male version of her best friend. But, surely the two of them would be a bad combination. After all they were_ too_ alike. There was no difference, no opposition; nothing to have playful little arguments about; nothing new to talk about. With her and Lucas, conversation always flowed easily because they never ran out of things to talk about or do. Because they were different; they were polar opposites. And she liked it that way. It was a nice change.

The cheering; the anticipation that comes from the stands is enough to break her from her thoughts. 1 second. That's the time that is left on the clock when the ball leaves his hands. The buzzer goes while the ball is in mid-air. If the ball goes in, the Tree Hill Ravens are the North Carolina State champions. And her ex-boyfriend is the hero of the game. Orange meets white as Lucas's shot swishes into the mesh effortlessly. Putting on a fake smile, Brooke shoots her pom-poms up into the air, hooting and hollering as the crowd goes wild and looks of disappointment cross the faces of the opposing team. Lucas is lifted up by his teammates as she chants for her ex-boyfriend.

When he is let down, Lucas makes his way towards her, almost instantly, a goofy smile on his handsome face.

"I did it Brooke!" he yells, enthusiasm dripping from his usually broody voice. He throws his arms around her and she can't help but feel extremely weird. It's awkward but at the same time she can't ignore the rapid beating of her heart.

"You did!" she cheers, pulling away and looking at him intently. The smile on his face tells her that he has never been so proud of himself. "I'm so proud of you!"

"This has got to be fate, right?" he asks after a moment, the smile dissipating into a look of seriousness.

"What do you mean?" she asks, looking at him expectantly.

"Peyton asked me one day who I wanted standing next to me when all of my dreams come true. I said you of course. And it's always you who is standing next to me. It's you Brooke."

"Lucas…"

"I love you Brooke. I never stopped."

"You don't love me," she whispers, a tear falling from the corner of her eye. "You love the idea of loving me."

"But I…"

"Peyton is the one you want standing next to you when all of your dreams come true," Brooke states forcefully. "Don't try to hide behind me any longer Lucas. The heart wants what the heart wants."

"Brooke… I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know you didn't. But you are only hurting me by pretending to love me."

"I did love you," he whispers painfully. "I still do… But you never wanted me to love you. You pushed me away. You wouldn't let me love you."

"Lucas…"

"I can't explain it," he smiles slightly. "The feeling that I get when I am around you…. It's a feeling that I have never felt before with anyone else. There is something telling me that fate wants us to be together."

"Go to Peyton," she whispers, pushing him away from her slightly. "You and I can never happen again. But, you still have a chance with Peyton."

"But Brooke…"

"This is my sacrifice. Now go."

He looks at her sadly, defeat growing in his eyes. Because he knows he didn't try hard enough to keep her. He just let her go. He didn't put up a fight. He watched her walk away. And he is going to have to live with that regret for the rest of his life.

He walks up to Peyton, his eyes still locked on Brooke who is standing behind Peyton. "It's you Peyton. You're the one that I want standing next to me when all of my dreams come true." The words come out sure and steady, but he doesn't believe them. Not for a second.

She blinks at him for a second, her green eyes wide with surprise. A smile breaks out across her face and she leans up on her tip-toes, her lips brushing across his. He pulls her in for a passionate kiss. But he doesn't feel the passion that he should; the passion that he feels with Brooke. She's just not Brooke. His eyes are still focused on Brooke who sends him a smile. But he can see the pain in her eyes; she is breaking. Giving him up was the hardest thing she's ever had to do but he understands why she did it. She's tired of hurting and she's tired of fighting for someone who can't fight back for her.

He has a beautiful blonde in his arms but the beautiful brunette with the broken smile is the one that is on his mind. The ending is tragic; full of pain and hurt. It's not a fairytale ending; not like the movies. If this were a movie; Brooke would be in his arms, not her tortured best friend. But this isn't movie. This is reality. And in reality; their relationship is dead.

AN: Okay, so that was kind of depressing, not gonna lie. And to be honest I love Brucas but I feel like it really wasn't meant to be between them for obvious reasons. But, Lucas did love Brooke and I wish he would have realized that he didn't fight for her enough and that he has to live that regret for the rest of his life. I am open to doing any requests for one-shots and drabbles so leave me a message or a request in a review and I will try to work with it the best I can. I already have a Brooke/Chase one, a Victoria one, a Skills one, a Bevin/Tim/Skills one, a Leyton one (although sort of anti-Leyton in a way), a Brooke/Clay one, and a Brooke/Peyton one all ready to go. So let me know which one(s) you guys would like to see next.


	3. Not Meant To Be

Title: Not Meant To Be

Pairing: Brooke/Chase

The distance in her beautiful hazel eyes tells him that something is wrong; that she isn't happy anymore. Maybe she never really was. Maybe she just settled for him. Maybe she just used him as a way to kill the pain of losing Lucas to Peyton.

"Brooke…" he whispers painfully. He wishes that she would just talk to him; that conversation would come easier and he didn't have to start it all the time.

The brunette looks up from her current sketch and gives him a lopsided smile; her beautiful dimples failing to grace her cheeks. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?" Chase asks, scratching the back of his neck nervously. They need to address this topic soon; before their relationship comes to blows.

"Sure," she nods, setting her pencil down and pushing her sketch book to the side. "What's up?"

"Are you happy?" he asks pointblank, crossing his broad arms over his chest.

"Of course I'm happy Chase," she looks at him, confusing twisting across her face. "I have you, my internship with Macy's, and my best friend all in one city? Why wouldn't I be happy? God, how can you even doubt that?"

"Because I… I get the feeling that you're not. I mean, yeah, you have lots of material things in your life to make you happy. But, I feel like you are just so… so distant. And if it's my fault…if I did or said something…I want to know so that I can fix this before it's too late."

"Chase," she looks at him seriously, although he can see the pain breaking in her eyes, clouding the usual vividness that they showcase. "You haven't said or done anything wrong, okay? I am happy, I promise," she assures him, resting her hand on his cheek.

"Well if you're happy, then why can't you tell me that you love me?" he blurts out, instantly regretting the words the minute that they escape his mouth.

She looks at him for a second, sadness gathering in her eyes. "Chase…I…I told you that I'm not ready to tell someone I love them until I am completely sure. I've had my heart broken one too many times and I can't risk it. I like you a lot and I know that I could love you, I'm just not sure I'm there yet."

"Brooke, it's been eight months since we've started dating and almost a year since you and Lucas broke up!" Chase tells her, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I love you Brooke but I'm beginning to think that you'll never love me back, not like I love you. I threw away my dreams to move here with you Brooke so that you could chase your dream. I gave up everything to be with you, and you… you can't even love me."

"Chase…" she whispers in a pain infused voice, her choking sobs enough to break his heart. He hated that he was putting her through this but it was so damn hard when he loved this girl and he knew that she was never going to reciprocate that love. Her heart just wasn't in it. And he's beginning to think that it never really was. This relationship was over before it had even started. "I'm sorry…I just…I'm not ready for that step yet."

"Will you ever be?" he asks, almost afraid of the answer.

"I don't know… maybe."

"You know what I think Brooke?" he asks, receiving a small nod in response. "You may not want to hear this but I think it needs to be said. I think that the reason you can't bring yourself to love me is because I'm not Lucas…"

"How dare you?" Brooke accuses, narrowing her eyes into tiny slits of anger. "How dare you accuse me of still loving Lucas? Lucas and I have been over for a long time!" He can see past the lies that fall so easily off of her tongue.

"Look Brooke, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for bringing up a subject that is so hard for you to talk about but I think for the sake of us, and our relationship, we need to talk about this. Please?"

She nods slowly, a single tear escaping her eye. "I need you to be honest with me Brooke."

"I liked you Chase, I really did, but I was still in love with Lucas and I…I thought at first that if I started dating you, I could make Lucas jealous and that maybe he would realize what he let go and start fighting for me," she states, her eyes trained on the floor. He nods slowly. As much as those words stung, he had kind of expected them. "When I realized that it wasn't working and it probably never would, I held on to you because I needed you as a pain killer. I thought that maybe you could make me forget about Lucas and the pain that he put me through."

"It all makes perfect sense to me now," Chase shakes his head in exasperation. "God, how could I have not seen that? Maybe, I just wanted you to love me so badly, that I made myself believe that you were over Lucas and that you weren't using me. It's my fault Brooke; god, I should have never tried to make you love me when clearly I could see that you didn't."

"It's my fault too Chase. I convinced myself that you were going to make me get over Lucas, when clearly you didn't."

"So, I guess this is it huh Brooke?" Chase mumbles sadly. He really wasn't ready to give up fighting for her. But when suddenly you learn that your girlfriend still loves her ex-boyfriend, you have no choice but to give up. "We had a good run at it. It just wasn't meant to be."

"I'm sorry Chase…I never meant to hurt you…I swear…I just…I…god, I was so stupid. I should have just told you," she cries out. He can tell that this is just as hard for her as it is for him. "I wanted to love you Chase, I really did, I just couldn't…"

"It's okay Brooke," he attempts to smile even though his chest feels like it is being pricked at by a sharp knife. "This is how it's meant to be. But hey, this is your apartment; I'll pack my bags and find another place."

"Actually…" Brooke looks around the apartment, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Victoria wants to make Clothes over Bro's into a company. She wants me to move to New York with her. I might go…"

"You should," Chase smiles slightly. "I think it would be good for you."

He stands up, a sad smile planted on his face, a flicker of hurt in his amber eyes. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he whispers, pulling her in for a hug.

When he lets go, he kisses her cheek. "I love you Brooke Davis. But, if you don't get over Lucas, you'll never be able to be in another relationship."

As he walks towards the door, pulling it open and preparing to leave behind a relationship that he would have fought tooth and nail to keep, he can't help but feel like this is fate's way of telling him that they just weren't meant to be together.

"I'm gonna miss you Brooke Davis," he mumbles as he closes the door shut, a tear falling from his eye.


	4. The Past You've Forgotten to Bury

Title: The Past You've Forgotten to Bury

Pairing: Lucas/Peyton (It is purely angsty Leyton though, no fluff in this one)

"God Lucas, what are we even doing anymore?" her voice sounds defeated, like the fight is lost.

He looks at her expectantly. "What are you talking about Peyton?"

She turns on her feet, propelling towards their bedroom and he follows, out of curiosity of course.

She's standing in front of their shared closet, pushing things out of the way to find a box that is located in the very back of the closet.

"It took me a while to find this. But I was cleaning one day and I came across it so I was curious and I opened it," she responds monotonically, shoving the box into Lucas's hands. "What the hell is this Lucas?" she asks angrily, her green eyes full of fire.

"That box is private Peyton," he tells her angrily, pointing towards the black ink that reads _private _on top of the box. "You shouldn't have opened it."

"I have a right to open up anything in this house Lucas!" she yells. "You are my husband and you are keeping things from me," she yells again, her fist connecting with the hard flesh that is his chest. "And I hate you for it." She chokes out, her body racking with every sob.

"I never meant to cause you so much pain Peyton…" he whispers, his voice full of torture and regret. He regrets keeping the box but he can't bury the past; he can't let go.

"Tell me what this box is, what it means to you, please?" she asks as calmly as she can muster.

"That…" he points to the box that he has set on the bed. "Is a box of memories."

"Yeah," she nods, spilling the contents from the box onto the bed, letting the many contents slip between her fingers. "A box of memories about your ex-girlfriend."

"Those are from high school Peyton," he warns her. "I haven't been with Brooke in years."

"Doesn't mean you don't still love her," she counteracts with a slight mumble, her eyes trained on the floor.

"I don't!" Lucas yells defensively. Even he has a hard time believing that.

"Well then why do you have these?" she asks, picking up several photos of them together and letting them slip through her fingers and fall onto the bed gently. "And these?" she asks, lifting up a stack of 82 tightly bound together letters. "And this?" she asks, picking up an old tattered version of 'An Unkindess of Ravens'. "This is the original, unedited book, written about you and Brooke. I found it and phoned Lindsey and she told me everything Lucas. She told me that the ending was revised to fit us because we ended up together, not you and Brooke. Why the hell didn't you tell me that?"

"Peyton, these are memories. I keep those letters and pictures because they are memories of an old friend. And I kept that book because it was the original. I wasn't going to just get rid of it…"

"Bullshit Lucas," she looks at him angrily. "Why do you have all of these things?"

"I… I…" Lucas sighs, struggling to find the words. "I don't know. But what I do know is that I love you Peyton."

"If you love me, you'll get rid of those things in your closet."

He nods, picking up the contents of the box and tucking them inside. He tosses them in the trash and looks at Peyton with a smile.

As much as it kills him, he knows that he has to throw those things out. He honestly doesn't know why he still holds onto those lost memories; maybe it's because they remind him of a love that is long lost, maybe he still has feelings for Brooke buried beneath the obvious feelings that he has for Peyton. He really doesn't know. But what he does know is that the contents of that box remind him of a time when everything was simple; when he fell in love for the first time.

Peyton looks on sadly, staring out the window at the cars that pass by on the street. She feels trapped. She hates that it's so hard for Lucas to part with that box. And she begins to wonder if Lucas still harbors feelings for Brooke.

She feels imprisoned in a relationship that she put in so much effort to get. Maybe all the effort really wasn't worth it. She hates living with the constant fear that her husband may still love his ex-girlfriend; her best friend. But she loves him too much to let him go.

The day she opened that box was the day that the past was unburied. It was the day that she truly felt a piece of her heart break because she finally understood what it felt like to be in Brooke's shoes; to feel like you aren't good enough for someone.

An: I'm sorry if this offends any Leyton fans but I just don't like them as a couple at all so I find it easier to write angsty Leyton than fluff.


	5. Black & Blue

Title: Black and Blue

Pairing: Brooke/Peyton

The years have taken their toll on the friendship between Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer. Their friendship seemed unlikely at first. After all the two girls were polar opposites. Brooke had long strait raven brunette hair. Peyton had short curly blonde hair. Brooke's eyes were hazel. Peyton's were green. Brooke had dime sized dimples that could light up an entire room with a simple smile. Peyton didn't smile often; she usually just brooded.

Peyton was lonely and tortured; keeping her inner thoughts bottle up inside. She was an artist and she lived for angst-filled music. She was rebellious and wild; she really didn't care what people thought of her. And above all; she was selfish. Her selfishness had been the biggest barrier in their relationship and had caused the slow and painful demise of their friendship.

Brooke was pretty and popular; she was confident and blunt and she loved life; always living it to the fullest. The social butterfly was a free spirit; one who enjoyed shopping and cheerleading. And she was the most selfless person. She always gave and never took.

Best friends at the tender age of five, Brooke and Peyton were like sisters despite having different gene pools. When Peyton's mother died when the girls were just eight years old, it hurt Brooke almost as much as it did Peyton. Because Anna Sawyer had been like her mother seeing as she didn't have much parental supervision in her life. The Sawyer's were her family. Following Anna's passing, a part of Peyton died. That day a part of Brooke died too. The girls did everything together growing up. They were practically attached at the hip.

High school was when it all changed. Junior year had been full of ups and downs for the two girls. Lucas Scott. He was the boy that had involuntarily ripped apart their friendship. They had both fallen for the same boy and Peyton's selfishness had caused a major hole in Brooke's heart. It wasn't until senior year that their friendship would take the biggest hit yet. Brooke and Lucas were back together when Peyton suddenly decided she wanted Lucas again. She had broken up Lucas and Brooke indirectly and it would take many months for Brooke to forgive Peyton for her selfishness. They went their separate ways after high school. Brooke went to New York and became a big name in fashion; a self-made multi-millionaire by the age of 22. Peyton had chased her dream of being a prominent force in the music production industry and failed. The two best friends returned to Tree Hill at twenty two because they felt that something was missing in their lives.

When Lucas proposed to Peyton, the couple fled town after the wedding, leaving their friends and life in Tree Hill behind. Although, they'd stayed in contact after the move, Brooke and Peyton's friendship began to suffer uncontrollably. Brooke married Julian Baker a few years later and Peyton hadn't even showed up at the wedding, having claimed that her daughter Sawyer was sick. The truth was that she was afraid of returning to Tree Hill and witnessing the vast changes herself-Brooke had filled her in on the phone many times of the new life that she was leading. And it seemed like she didn't need Peyton anymore.

When Brooke's children were born, she hadn't returned. She knew how badly Brooke wanted to be a mom but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was too painful to return and learn that you've been replaced. And it's her own fault really. She hasn't been a very good friend to Brooke over the years. She knows that Brooke is married with two twin boys and that she and Haley have re-opened Karen's café. And she feels like she's missed out on so much.

She stands staring across the street in a once familiar town that now seems foreign to her. She glances in the café window, a reminiscent of ten years ago, and sees two best friends laughing and joking before pulling each other into a friendly hug. Haley James is the new best friend of Brooke Davis. Lucas had told her that Haley had even been the maid of honor at Brooke's wedding and that she was also Davis and Jude's godmother. She feels replaced. Brooke never needed her. Brooke was always there for her and when Brooke needed her; she had failed to be there. And now she'd lost her best friend-the only person that ever truly knew her.

She watches Haley and Brooke remove their aprons and slip into seats opposite their husbands at a large table. This is Brooke's new family. Sitting at the table is Brooke, Julian, two little boys she guesses to be Davis and Jude, Nathan, Haley, Jamie, another little girl who she guesses is Lydia, Mouth, Millie, Chase, Alex Dupree who she recognizes from Seven Dreams Till Tuesday, Haley's sister Quinn who she vaguely remembers, and a blonde man who she guesses is Clay Evans, Nathan's new best friend. It used to be her, Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley that would sit in that Café and have a family dinner every Saturday night. But, Brooke has moved on. Lucas and Peyton's absence has made room for more people and now they have been replaced. But the biggest hole in her heart is caused by Haley James. Haley had replaced her. But Haley had been there for Brooke in the times that Peyton hadn't. And that was why Haley was sitting beside Brooke right now instead of Peyton.

She wants to go inside so badly and see her former best friend; to be in her life again. But she can't. She doesn't belong there anymore. Defeated, the blonde turns around and leaves. It was her own fault for driving everyone away; for not being there in their time of need. And now they have moved on without her and she is stuck in time; wishing that she could have her old life back.


	6. Pain

Title: Pain

Character: Skills

Chocolate or Vanilla? He scans the ice cream aisle at the local supermarket carefully. He is about to pick up the chocolate but when he turns to the left, he finds himself putting the ice cream back.

That's when he spots her. At the end of the aisle, she is picking up chocolate ice cream, tossing it into her basket. Suddenly he loses his appetite for chocolate ice cream.

He opts for the vanilla instead, tossing it into his own basket; he quickly turns around, anxious to get away from her. Somehow he's managed to avoid her for the past five years despite the fact that they've both been living in the same town.

He crashes into a body. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"It's okay," she chuckles, her voice sweet like honey. "I should watch where I'm going."

The voice registers immediately and his dark eyes travel up from the floor to stare into mystical brown ones.

She looks shocked to see him. "Antwon?"

"Bevin," he nods stoically. He feels like he is suffocating and he _needs _to get out.

"Hey…" she offers him a slight smile. "I haven't seen you around. How have you been?"

"Good," he replies as if the conversation is rehearsed. "Been busy you know."

"Yeah, I hear you," she nods quickly, surveying him up and down. "You look good," she notes.

"Look I have to go. Mouth um… he needs help with something," he replies quickly, fumbling for his phone, pretending to read a text from Mouth.

"Oh," she sounds disappointed but nods. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you around."

He nods before turning around and quickly escaping.

"Wait, Antwon!"

He turns around. As much as he doesn't want to, he knows that he can't keep running from the past forever. It's time to face down his demons.

"Yeah?"

"How come you avoid me all the time? Every time I have tried to talk to you in the past five years, you've always ran away before I could approach you."

He spots Tim and their son Nathan coming up from the other end of the aisle, both laughing idiotically at something that probably isn't even really that funny.

"That's why," he whispers, jerking his thumb towards the two boys. "You chose them."

"I'm sorry," she whispers back. "I know you're upset but that was five years ago. Time to move on isn't it?"

"I haven't been able to hold a relationship since. Every time a good girl comes along, I can't hold onto her because I am haunted by you…"

"I'm sorry I slept with Tim…"

"I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed," he whispers painfully. "Because, you threw away everything that we could have had."

"Antwon…"

"Look I really have to go," he replies, stepping back. "Have a nice life Bevin; I hope it was worth it in the end.

As he walks away, he leaves a piece of his heart behind. He knows that Bevin Mirskey will always hold a piece of his heart and no other girl will ever hold a torch to her.

AN: This one is for all those Skills/Bevin shippers out there. Why they never lasted is beyond me.


	7. Ashes of Dreams you Let Die

Title: Ashes of Dreams you Let Die

Character: Victoria Davis

18 years old. She was just a kid herself. She sucked in a breath; waiting for fate to reveal its plan for her. Shaky hands reached for the stick that lay on the bathroom counter.

Solid brown eyes lift from the ground and stare hard at their destiny. Positive, it read. Tears fell from the corner of her eyes like rain, dropping into the bathroom sink.

Anger, fear, regret, and confusion course through her veins and flash in her dull brown eyes as she throws the stick across the room, watching it smack into the wall with a hard thud.

Her parents would surely disown her and she knew that Ted wasn't going to stick around much, if at all, no matter how much he would try to convince her that he was going to be there. He wasn't a man of his word. She knew that.

As much as she didn't want to have this child, she knew that aborting it would end her relationship with Ted. He would have no reason to stay with her; nothing binding the two of them together. If she had his child; he would be required to stay with her and she would have the life of money and power that she desperately wanted.

Grabbing a piece of paper from her purse, Victoria fingered the white sheet that held the key to her other life; the one that she had always planned for herself; the one that she wanted.

She couldn't have it all. It was either live out her dreams or have this child. She touched her still slim stomach, scared to think that there was a life growing inside of her. She looked back at the sheet of paper and sighed, a single tear falling from her eye and smearing onto the black ink that held her dream. The acceptance letter to NYFI was everything to her.

She took a deep breath before ripping the letter into tiny shreds of a dream that was now lost. She tossed the ripped remnants into the trashcan before shutting off the light and exiting the bathroom. The day that Victoria Davis ripped up that letter was the day that her dreams died and the day that all hope she ever had for herself died. That day, a part of her died.


	8. This Life, That Life

Title: This Life, That Life

Pairing: Bevin/Tim/Skills

Breaking up with Antwon Taylor was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do. Having Tim Smith's baby was _the_ hardest.

A single tear fell from her soft brown eyes as she blinked. She loved Antwon; he was everything that she had ever wanted. A fight, followed by a drunken one night stand, had ripped apart the love that she had wanted so badly.

However, she was beginning to think that it was for the best. She and Antwon had been fighting a lot lately; she was beginning to see that they were just two completely different people with two completely different goals in life. But that still didn't ease the feeling of guilt that consumed her daily.

She sees the way that Antwon walks by her, his head down, as if he is disgusted by her. And she hates herself for hurting him because all he's ever done is love her unconditionally.

"Marry me?"

Her thoughts are broken apart by the boy kneeling before her, holding a ring out, a goofy smile imprinted on his face. Tim Smith is the exact opposite of Antwon. He's goofy and he doesn't take anything in life seriously; he drifts through life one day at a time.

He probably couldn't give her everything that Antwon can. But she doesn't care. The life that is developing inside of her is all that matters. And if he loves this child; their child, then that is all that matters.

Besides, she's beginning to think that maybe Tim will be a fresh breath of air for her. He's silly and down to earth just like her; he's simple and he doesn't take everything in life seriously. They are one in the same.

He promised to be there for her and their child. And he seems excited to be the father of a child. A little boy to teach basketball to or a little girl that would be just like her mother. He promised to love this child with everything inside of him until the day he dies. And for the first time in his life, Bevin notes that he is actually dead serious about something.

She looks at him for a second, knowing that there is no turning back. They can either be a family or not. She has to make the choice.

She cracks a small smile. She could make herself love him, right? She nods slowly, before a wide grin breaks out across her face. "Yes," she smiles shakily as he returns the gesture and slips the ring onto her finger.

He grins broadly, twirling her around in his arms and pressing a kiss to her lips tenderly. "I can't wait to have this baby and be a family," he smiles genuinely, touching her stomach with his hand. For the first time in her life, Bevin sees Tim Smith as a person and not as the goofball that everyone knew him to be in High School.

She smiles contently, melting into his embrace. They might not know what they are doing but they will figure it out along the way.


	9. Ashes of Dreams you Let Die Part Two

Title: Ashes of Dreams you Let Die Part Two

Character: Victoria Davis

She was only 18 years old, fresh out of high school with little life experience. Having grown up with absentee parents; she didn't know how to raise a child, she didn't even know how to look after herself properly; hell she was still a kid herself. And clearly, Ted was going to be an absentee father despite his promises. He should be here comforting her… but he wasn't. And he probably never would be. It simply wasn't who he was.

She didn't even love Ted. He was a nice enough guy and all but he wasn't James Richter. She'd secretly loved James for a long time now but couldn't do anything about it. Her parents pushed her towards Ted because he had money. Having grown up a high society girl; it was her plan in life. Her parents and Ted's parents belonged to the same country club and had basically already planned the marriage for them when they were fifteen years old. Ted was going to inherit his father's multi-billion dollar company and go on to do great things with his life. He was pretty much set. But she loved James; a boy who came from a middle working class family. If she settled for James her parents would automatically disown her and the life of money and power would be ripped away from her. As much as she loved the way James treated her, she wasn't sure she could handle not being rich; it was a part of her, coursing through her veins. It was who she was and who she was always destined to be. And the life growing inside of her was the only thing that would keep her bound to Ted forever.

The sound of the doorbell ringing shot through her ears as she jerked up from her spot in front of the TV. She muted her TV program before retreating to the door and throwing it open casually.

James Richter stood on her doorstep, looking just as adorable as ever, a huge smile etched across his handsome face. "Vicki…" he smiled breathlessly. "Hey…"

"James…" she nodded stoically, her eyes traveling towards the floor.

"I've got gas in the car and my bags packed. Now all you have to do is pack yours…."

"Excuse me?" she blinked, her eyes lifting forward and staring him hard in the face. "What are you…?"

"The promise I made to you…" he reminded her. "Remember we were going to run away, leave this life behind and just go wherever the car takes us…"

"James we can't…"

"Why not?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck cautiously. "I thought…"

"I know what you thought," she nodded, a tear falling from her eye. "I want to leave this life behind so bad b-but I- I can't…"

"Why not Vicki? I thought you loved me? You said we could finally be together…"

"I know," she sighed, a part of her breaking inside. This was the_ hardest_ thing she's ever had to do. "But I-I can't because…"

He looked at her hand and caught sight of the ring. "Because, you can't leave the money and power behind… I get it… You chose Ted… Well I hope you have a nice life Victoria… you deserve it."

"Wait," she whispered, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to turn back around. "I didn't want this James. You have to believe me when I tell you this. Ted proposed to me after I found out I was two months pregnant," she whispered, touching her belly. "He says he's going to be there for me and the baby."

James looked at her, blue eyes widened in shock and disbelief, as he struggled to find the right words. "Yeah and we all know how well Ted Davis keeps his promises," James mumbled, bitterness tainting his words. The guy was always making promises to Victoria and never keeping his end of the bargain. "Look Vicki… we can still do this," he whispered, grabbing her hand and intertwining her fingers with his. "I can help you raise this child and we can be a family. Please? We can do this…"

"No…" she shook her head, brunette locks falling into her face. "We can't… It's not fair to Ted, this is his child too… I can't just leave and not let him know his own freakin' child!"

"Please…"

"Just go James. It wasn't meant to be, okay? You deserve a woman who's going to give you everything and you'll find her someday but that girl isn't going to be me."

"But what about love? Isn't that enough?"

"Sometimes love isn't enough…" she recited, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm sorry James…"

"Yeah me too," he whispered dejectedly, giving her a sad smile, and turning to exit her life for good. "Have a nice life…" he whispered quietly as the door shut behind him.

As she heard the door shut, she collapsed to the floor, her back sliding down against the door until she was a pile on the floor, head in hands. Sobs overtook her body, shaking it uncontrollably. In a single moment, every one of her dreams had died. And she hated herself for it. She looked at her still slim stomach, disgust crossing her face. It was that very day that Victoria Davis had decided to solely blame the life that was developing inside of her for ruining every chance she'd had at achieving her dreams. As she watched her dreams burn into ashes, a vicious flame engulfing what was left of the passion, love, desire, and drive that had once burned so brightly inside of her, she felt her entire soul die and turn to ice. And looking back on it, the miserable woman she'd become had been a result of the love that she'd lost that day. It could have saved her but her selfishness had won the fight and darkened her heart.

AN: Lift-me-up, I love all of your ideas! I've already planned a Julian/Peyton one, which will come a little later and I also love your idea of a Julian one based on his childhood, I never would have thought to do that. I'm also thinking of doing one about Brooke growing up as well. I am definitely open to doing a Chase/Mia friendship one, in fact I think it's a great idea. Although I do ship Chase/Alex, I did like Chase/Mia as a couple at one time and I think they work great as friends. So that will be coming right up for you! This is part two for my Victoria fic, I thought your idea would fit really well as a part two to accompany my first one. I hope I did Victoria some justice in this one. And if you have any more requests or ideas they would be greatly appreciated.


	10. Always

Title: Always

Pairing: Chase/Mia (Friendship)

"Hey bartender boy…"

He recognizes the voice instantly. It belongs to the girl that his world once revolved around. But that was a long time ago.

"Mia," he nods, a slight smile gracing his face as the brunette musician makes her way towards the bar, sitting on a barstool. "What can I get for you?"

"Something strong," she jokes with a wide grin as she glances at her phone momentarily before shoving it deep into her pocket.

"How about a Chase's heartbreak? It's my newest and strongest drink," he responds monotonically, turning around to pour the liquor before she can even reply.

He sets the shot glass in front of her, her eyes widening in horror. "What is that?"

He shrugs, a boyish grin situated on his face. "Guess you'll have to drink it if you want to find out."

She looks at the shot glass in horror before picking it up unsurely and bringing it to her lips. The liquid slides down her throat, burning her insides instantly. As she drops the shot glass to the bar countertop with a hard thud, a look of pure distaste crosses her face. "Chase, that is disgusting! Far worse than a brain blaster…" she groans sourly. "How the hell can you even drink that?"

"It numbs the pain," he shrugs, grabbing her empty glass. "Want something else to drink?"

"Not doing so good, huh?" she asks lightly as she eyes the drink menu. She figures after that drink her safest bet is to order something that Chase doesn't have to mix. "I'll just be safe and have a beer."

He sends her a look, one that showcases the pain and brokenness he has pent up inside these last few months, before turning around to grab her beer. As he places it in front of her, he sighs. "Truthfully, it sucks. I really loved Alex, you know? And now she's just gone, she just gave up on me. I'm beginning to think that I should just stop fighting for love, because in the end I always end up hurt. It's just not worth it anymore; getting my heart broken all the time."

"I'm sorry Chase," Mia sighs, concern spreading across her face. She genuinely feels sorry for Chase. Every time that happiness comes his way, it is ripped away from him just as he barely gets a taste of it. And she blames herself partly for that. Because, she had been the first one to break him. "If it's meant to be, she'll come back."

He shrugs emotionlessly. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm done being toyed with. When she comes back, I won't be here."

She nods in complete understanding. "You're a good guy Chase and someday, some girl is going to be very lucky to have you. And hopefully, she won't take you for granted like Alex and I did."

"Do you ever wish you took a different path in life?" Chase asks after a moment, his eyes casting a hard glance into Mia's brown ones.

The question comes out of nowhere and takes her by complete surprise. "Of course I do Chase," she whispers honestly in a low voice. "I keep wishing that I hadn't broken up with you when things got hard, when distance pulled us apart. I wish I had fought for us. And I have to live with that regret every day of my life."

"I wish I had never fallen in love with Alex Dupree. She brought so much good to my life and at the same time she caused me so much pain. Is it possible to love someone so much yet hate them so much at the same time?"

"It's perfectly normal," Mia nods, taking a long and plentiful sip of her drink. "You love Alex but you hate her for what she put you through. But, you'll get through this Chase. I know you will. Because, you are strong and although it may not seem like it now, life will get better. And in the end, happiness will find you. Because, you've worked so hard for it and you deserve it more than anyone I know."

"I hope you're right. Because, I don't know how much longer I can take feeling like this."

Mia feels her heart wrench with sympathy as she looks at her friend. She has never seen him this way before; so broken and full of pain. And the worst part is that she knows that she could have prevented it. And that is the one regret that will always follow her, the guilt that will never sleep. Her heart aches for Chase. She wishes nothing more than for the kindhearted, selfless bartender to find the happiness that he has searched so long and desperately for. She knows what it feels like to have an empty void in your heart that longs to be filled with unconditional love. And she wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.

"You know Mia, you're a good friend," he smiles, breaking her from her thoughts.

"I hope we can continue to be friends Chase. I miss you…"

"I just want to thank you for being here for me, for understanding…"

"I'll always be here for you Chase," she grins. She has finally accepted that their relationship is over. But their friendship is not. And she misses him like hell. She will take him in her life any way that she can; even if it means that their relationship is strictly platonic. Because, she's not sure that she can handle living one more day without Chase Adams in her life.

AN: Lift-me-up here's your Chase/Mia friendship fic as requested. I hope I did them some justice.


	11. Damaged

Title: Damaged

Pairing: Brooke/Clay

The liquid slides down her throat, burning her insides. It numbs the pain. Even if the feeling is temporary, she forgets. Forgets how incredibly screwed up her life is. She forgets that Julian is always gone. That he thinks the idea of them getting married is the worst idea in the world. She thought she'd finally found happiness and although she pretends to be happy, she's really not. She loves Julian so much, or at least she used to. But now she's not sure. They spend more time apart than they actually spend together. And she's beginning to think that he's not the type to settle down any time soon.

"Someone's looking a little sad."

She turns her head slowly, surprised to see Clay Evans occupying the once empty barstool beside her. She looks at him expectantly and shakes her head. She knows he's the type of boy that she should stay away from. She's heard stories about Nathan's womanizing agent.

She scoffs and slams down another shot of tequila. Patron is her best friend right now. He gives her a lopsided smile and calls Chase for a drink of his own. "And something for the lady next me," he winks at Brooke, his blue eyes casting a suggestive look her way. "What's your poison?"

"Tequila," she responds in a dry voice.

"Tequila?" he raises an eyebrow naturally. "Must be trying to numb the pain; nobody just shoots tequila for the hell of it."

Damn, the boy could read her like an open book. Maybe they are more similar than she would have ever suspected. She shrugs as Chase places the shot in front of her, Clay handing him a bill.

Clay holds his shot glass up for a toast but Brooke's tequila is already sliding down her throat with ease. She makes it look effortless; like her body is accustomed to the burning.

He chuckles and holds his head back to chase down his own shot. "So, you're Brooke Davis huh?"

She nods, slamming her empty shot glass onto the counter and wiping the stray liquid from the corner of her mouth.

"You don't talk much," he notes. "Clay Evans…"

"I know who you are," she mumbles, drumming her fingers against the countertop aimlessly. "I've heard lots about you."

He smirks. Brooke studies him from the side, noting that he is nothing like Julian. He's much shorter but built thick with muscle. He's blonde with icy blue eyes. And he isn't serious about anything. To him, life is a game, and he plays everyone in his life. Maybe tequila isn't what she needs to forget; maybe Clay Evans is what she needs to forget.

"Let's go back to my place," she whispers, almost regretfully, because she is still with Julian.

"Aren't you dating that movie producer or whatever," he asks with a shrug.

She shrugs, dropping her legs from the barstool. "Not for long." It was time to stop feeling like this. Damaged. And the only way to make herself feel better was to let go of Julian. Because, it just wasn't working anymore. They were just two completely different people. And she felt that her life was becoming a boring routine. She missed the days when her life was like this. When she could meet a stranger at the bar and have meaningless sex, without any feelings attached. That way she could never get hurt again.

He looks away momentarily. "Look, I don't want to be the one to ruin your relationship…"

"My relationship has been ruined for a long time," she replies back, without missing a beat.

She shoots him a suggestive smile before turning around and walking away, her voluptuous hips swaying with every step; Clay's mouth falls agape and he let out a sigh. He was in trouble with this one.

"You coming?" she questions with a smirk, eyebrows raised naturally.

He nods. Resisting temptation is simply out of the question this time.

He figures it won't really matter if he goes home with her tonight. She's broken; full of pain and hurt. And he is too. Maybe they could be broken together.

AN: Lift-me-up, I'm so glad you liked the Chase/Mia fic and I'm glad I could help cheer you up some with a simple story. And that would be great if you want to let your readers know about my story. Also, let me know which pairing or character you'd like to see next.


	12. Friends?

Title: Friends?

Pairing: Mia/Alex

The applause, the anticipation, the cheering that comes from the crowd when she performs the songs that she has carefully crafted, gives her the best feeling in the world. It makes her feel good; knowing that she could touch the lives of others through the simple messages that the lyrics of her music convey. And she loves the attention too; the feeling of importance, the paparazzi stalking her every move, the young girls eagerly waving pieces of paper in her face for a simple autograph, the many fans that gather at her concerts to sing and dance along. She simply loves it all. This life was made for her.

"Not bad at all Dupree…"

The dark brunette looks up from her vanity as she finishes pulling a silver hoop from her ear. The voice registers instantly and her teeth start to grind together in frustration. Mia Catalano, another fellow musician, and Alex's arch nemesis in both music and love, appears through the reflection in the mirror, a haughty and rather conceited smirk planted on her face.

"Mia, look, if you're here to fight, I don't want to hear it," Alex responds calmly, her hand flying up in the air in dismissal. "This juvenile behavior is getting really old. We are adults, not immature sixteen year old girls."

"I didn't come here to fight," Mia replies back, her smirk turning to a warm smile. "And I mean it Alex; your music is really good."

Alex nods, although she is still unsure of what Mia's intentions are. "Well then why are you here? Not to sound rude or anything but we aren't friends... so why are you here?"

"It's about Chase…"

"Look if you're here to tell me that you want to make a move on Chase whatever, you do what you need to do. He deserves to be happy and if you want to be the one that makes him happy, I guess there's not much I can do about it. Just don't rub it in my face please… It hurts badly enough."

"I'm not here to tell you that I want Chase back," Mia responds firmly. "I ran into Chase a few weeks ago and we had a great talk. I'm here to tell you that you need to go back to Tree Hill and tell that boy that you love him."

"Excuse me?" Alex's eyes shoot open in disbelief.

"I know that we haven't been the best of friends, or really friends at all for that matter, but what I do know is that Chase loves you, don't know why but he does, and that you love him. You should see him Alex; he's so broken, so lost. It hurts me so badly to see him that way. I've tried to fix it, others have tried to fix it, but I think you're the only one that truly has the power to fix him."

"Mia… I… look, I hurt him, I know that, and I have to live with that regret every single day of my life. And I hate myself for it but I did what I had to do. You have to understand that."

"Why'd you do it?" Mia asks, hands firmly planted on her hips. "Why did you leave Chase to come on tour after you finally won the battle for his heart?"

"You're a musician Mia, you should understand of all people. I was talking to Chris Keller and he told me that he missed a lot of chances as a musician, chances that he wishes he could go back and take. And ten years from now, I don't want to look back on my life and wonder 'what if I had taken that tour'. I can't explain it Mia, I can't. But I love this life; nothing beats the sound of twenty thousand screaming fans in a sold out arena, the paparazzi following you everywhere just to dig up some dirt or snap a picture of you doing something ridiculous, the autographs, the parties. I think this life was made for me. It's what I'm destined for."

"It is pretty great," Mia nods in understanding. "But, here's my biggest problem," her smile dissipates into seriousness. "Why the hell didn't you invite Chase to go on tour with you? Why did you just let him go?" she yells, animosity tainting her words.

"I love him," Alex smiles sadly, glancing at the photo of her and Chase on her vanity. "I love him so much that it hurts and that is why I left. I'm no good for him Mia. He deserves someone like you; someone that can give him stability, security, and unconditional love. That girl isn't me. And I'm not sure it ever will be. I love living this life, in the fast lane, always on the go. I thrive off of the pressure, the anticipation. I'm not ready to settle down and live my life in a small town, regretting that I didn't take the tour that could change my life."

"I think you should be telling someone else this, not me," Mia responds finally, glancing at her cellphone. "Chase deserves to hear your reasoning."

"I have a few days off… maybe I could make a trip up to Tree Hill."

"I think you should. It's the only way that you are going to resolve the guilt that obviously lies beneath the surface, and it's only fair to Chase that you two get some proper closure," Mia replies. "Well, I have to get going or I'm going to miss my flight."

"Hey Mia?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Alex smiles. "For everything, for making me realize that I left a lot of unresolved feelings back in Tree Hill, and that I owe Chase a proper explanation."

"Just looking out for a friend," Mia shrugs, because Chase's happiness means everything to her. And even if she won't admit it aloud, Alex's happiness means a lot to her too.

"Do you think we could ever… you know… be friends one day?" The look of confusion that disperses across Mia's face causes Alex to let out a weighted sigh. "I mean, I see the fierce loyalty that you have to Chase and your other friends and I don't know… I thought that maybe we could put this juvenile behavior behind us."

Mia's lips curve up into a smile as she reaches the door. "I'd like that. See you around Alice."

"Hey, only my really close friends get to call me that!" Alex retorts, as a playful smile dances across her lips.

Mia isn't sure that they'll ever be friends. After all they love the same boy. And they both belong to the same record label. But at least it's a start. And who knows, maybe someday she will actually be able to stand Alex Dupree without wanting to stab her every time she opens her mouth.


	13. Shattered

Title: Shattered

Pairing: Haley centric, undertones of Nathan/Haley, Haley/Chris friendship

Nobody understands the pain that she is feeling right now; no matter how hard they try to. Her husband is missing. And she's beginning to lose faith in him ever coming back. She knows Nathan. He wouldn't just disappear. Someone had to have taken him. But why?

Haley James takes a deep breath as she sits in the uncomfortable seat at the police station, swinging her legs back and forth absentmindedly. Why had they called her in? She felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye at the prospect of losing Nathan. It was impossible. How would she be able to go on? How would her family be able to go on?

"Haley…"

The brunette looks up to see Chris Keller take a seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Nate's gonna be okay..."

"And what if he's not? I have a feeling that something terrible happened," Haley whispers as she intertwines her hands together.

"He's a fighter," Chris shoots her a weak smile. "Trust me, I would know, the guy packs a mean punch."

"Chris, whoever kidnapped him is probably a hell of a lot harder to fight off than you," Haley replies dryly as she closes her eyes momentarily and tries to envision her life without Nathan in it. It's impossible.

"Touché," Chris nods his head, a sly smirk stretching across his lips. "But, he's not going to go down without a fight either."

"That's what scares me," Haley whispers sadly. The last couple of years have been extremely hard on her. First she lost her mother to cancer, then she almost lost her son, and finally, two tragic events had left her sister and best friend both fighting desperately for their lives. She can't afford to lose another person she loves. It would destroy her. "I can't lose him…" she whispers to Chris, her body shaking as she speaks. She ignores the fact that mascara is running wildly down her face mixing with the sultry tears that fall from her deep brown eyes. "I've already lost so much."

Chris nods, his blue eyes clouded with concern. "You're not going to lose him Haley. He's going to come back and you guys will be a family again. He's stronger than anyone I know, other than you." He places a comforting hand on top of Haley's trembling one. "I promise."

"I'm scared," Haley whispers shakily as she buries her head in Chris's shoulder, his arm instantly wrapping around her petite frame. "I'm so petrified…"

"You have a right to be," Chris nods as he wipes a tear from the corner of her soft brown eyes. "You don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to let your guard down sometimes."

"Funny, I used to tell Brooke that all the time," Haley mumbles through her tears. She looks up at Chris, as she attempts to wipe her eyes. "Thanks for being here Chris. I never would have expected it from you."

"Anything for you Haley," Chris shrugs, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The two had always shared an incredible bond through music and he felt compelled to be there for her. He couldn't even imagine the pain that she was feeling right now. Because, he knew how much she loved Nathan.

"Haley James…" The thick voice of a husky cop calls as he walks into the waiting room.

"Yes," the brunette asks, prying herself from Chris and standing up to meet the cop. "What's going on?"

"We found your husband…" he states, looking back and forth between Haley and Chris.

"Oh. My. God…" Haley whispers, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Is he okay? Please tell me he's okay."

"I'm sorry… He didn't make it," the cop whispers sadly. "I'm really sorry Haley…"

The minute those words escape his mouth; she falls to the floor, numb with pain. She doesn't even try to stop the tears that spill like rain from her eyes or the uncontrollable shakes that rack her body. In one simple sentence her whole world is shattered.

"Haley…" Chris whispers as he falls to the ground beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so sorry…"

"You promised!" she yells, pounding her fist into his chest. "You promised that he was going to come back!"

"I'm sorry Haley… I really am… I wanted to believe myself so badly when I said that…"

"Why did this have to happen to him? To me! Why?" she yells, beating her fist into his chest again just like it's a punching bag. "Why? What did we do to deserve this?"

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's not fair but unfortunately it is what it is. The world can be a cruel and unfair place." Chris whispers as he rubs soothing circles on Haley's back.

As he listens to her heartbreaking cries, Chris feels a tear prick at the corner of his eye. Of all the people in this world, Nathan and Haley deserved this the least. They had worked so hard to get here, only to have it all ripped away from them. He feels his heart break for Haley because he can't even imagine her pain right now. But he's going to be there for her. Because someone has to.

AN: Last night's episode leaves us with the impression that Nathan is going to die. So this is a little piece that I made if it were to be Nathan that died. I love Haley and Chris's friendship so I wanted to throw that in there. I am also going to do a second part to this with Haley and Clay's friendship after the funeral. Although it makes the most sense that it would be Nathan that dies, I don't think it will be. I heard rumors that it was going to be an original cast mate that has been there since the beginning. Obviously it's not Haley because she is standing at the morgue. My guesses are that if it's not Nathan, it will be Dan or Brooke. Either Dan will die trying to save Nathan or Brooke will be killed by Xavier because at the end of the episode, he is standing outside of the cafe as she locks up, a little deja vu anyone? But, I will tell you, it had better not be Brooke or I am going to be pissed!


	14. Life Goes On

Title: Life Goes On

Pairing: Clay/Haley (friendship)

Numb. It's like she's frozen; like she can't feel anything. Watching her husband's lifeless body being buried several feet beneath the ground was the _hardest_ thing she's ever had to do. She doesn't know how she can go on; how she can live her life without Nathan in it. Her heart simply feels empty right now; like there's no purpose in her life any longer. And she _hates_ it. Because, it _shouldn't_ be this way, it just _shouldn't_. It's not right.

She reaches up to wipe a tear from her eye as she clutches the photo closer to her chest, as if hanging on for dear life, and trying to salvage every last memory they have together. Because in the blink of an eye, her world had been shattered, her long awaited happiness ripped away from her.

She hears a knock on the door and looks up to see Clay Evans leaning against the doorframe, a weak smile etched across his lips. "Hey…"

She doesn't say anything; she just continues to cry, clutching the photo closer to her chest. She's sick of trying to be strong and hold everything together. She just wants to let all the pain out.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispers as he sits beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm so sick of everyone telling me that!" she snaps, throwing her head back in desperation. "It's not gonna be okay! Nothing will ever be the same again."

"You're hurting Haley, I get that, but don't shut everyone out okay? Don't make the same mistakes that I did."

"You don't understand Clay! Nobody understands," she whispers, bitterness tainting her words. "The pain that I am feeling right now is a kind of pain that nobody understands!"

"I don't understand?" Clay asks, his eyes widening with shock. "Are you kidding me Haley? I watched my wife die in front of me. I watched as they drug her lifeless body away from me. I forgot my entire life Haley! I chose to block everything out and ignore the reality of what happened. I left my son behind Haley! I just left him there on his own and it took me five years and a lot of therapy to even remember I had a son! So don't tell me that I don't understand because I do. I understand better than anyone."

"There's just no point anymore. No point in life; no direction. Nathan gave my life meaning and purpose and direction and now that he's gone, I have nothing to live for," she states solitarily, her dull brown eyes staring at the blonde sports agent emptily.

"Nothing left to live for?" Clay retorts, shaking his head ruefully. "What about your family Haley? Your son and your beautiful daughter; your sister and me; Brooke and Julian. Aren't we worth living your life for?"

"It's just so hard!" she elicits a weighted sigh. "To look at my son and my daughter and not be reminded of the man that held our family together. He's gone now, and everything is going to fall apart and it's beyond my control."

"No it's not," Clay offers Haley a weak smile. "You can hold your family together. You have a right to grieve Haley, you've been through a lot. But your family needs you. Don't shut them out like I did. Don't block that day out Haley. If you do, you will end up regretting it for the rest of your life. Trust me…"

"Does it get any better Clay?" Haley asks after a moment of silence, her eyes trained to the floor.

"It does," Clay nods, as he thinks of his life now as opposed to a few years ago. "It just takes time. And you can't dwell on the past."

"I just miss him…" Haley replies sadly as she sets the photo down beside the bed. "It's like there is this emptiness inside of my heart."

"I know what you mean," Clay nods as he stares at the floor. Because, he still feels an empty spot in his heart that desperately longs for Sara. He has Quinn now and he loves her but there will always be a spot in his heart that nobody can touch because it belongs to his late wife. "Stay strong Haley, there will a be light at the end of the tunnel. I promise."

She nods, although she's not quite convinced. "Thank you Clay," she whispers as he stands up and lets go of her. "I don't think I could have gotten through any of this without you or Quinn."

He nods and shoots her a small smile. "I'll see you downstairs."

As he disappears out the door, Haley picks up the phone, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she dials the familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lucas…"

"Yeah Haley what is it?" he asks with genuine concern.

"I want Jamie and Lydia to come home now…"

"Are you sure Haley? I mean, they still don't fully understand what has happened…"

"They need me. And I need them," she whispers quietly. "I don't want to hide my children from this. I want us to all get through this together… as a family."

"Peyton and I will be on the next flight to Tree Hill."

She smiles as she hangs up the phone. Because of Clay Evans, she believes that things will get better, that she will get through this. It's going to be hard but Clay has proved to her that it is possible.

AN: After watching last week's episode, I totally want to do a Clay/Logan one. Would anyone be interested in that?


	15. Daddy for a Day

Title: Daddy for a Day

Pairing: Clay/Logan

"Hey buddy…" the blonde whispers softly as he bends down to Logan's level. "Would it be alright if we spent some time together today? Just me and you…"

Logan's nose scrunches up with confusion. "But I thought you didn't want to spend time with me…"

"That's not true Logan," Clay shakes his head. He feels so guilty because he damaged his son. And he made his own son hate him. What kind of a person just forgets their own son? It's something that he will never forgive himself for. "I told you, I got really sick after your mother died and it was better if you lived with your grandparents. But I'm better now and I want to get to know you."

"You forgot me," Logan whispers quietly. "I can hear grown-ups talking. You forgot about me!"

"Alright, sit down buddy," Clay instructs, shutting his blue eyes momentarily. "I did forget about you. But I was sick. I developed a condition as a result of losing your mother that made me forget all parts of my life that reminded me of your mother; you being one of them. I blocked out those memories because I was in pain. But, I regret it so much. I don't expect you to forgive me right now. But, can we at least try spending some time together. Just like we did before you knew that I was your father?"

He was glad that Sarah's parents had finally allowed him to spend some alone time with Logan. And with every breath, he prayed to god that Logan would accept his offer.

"It's okay with grandma and grandpa?" he whispers quietly.

Clay nods, cracking a smile as he holds his hand out. "What do you say Logan, we can just go get some ice cream and maybe hang out in the park…"

"I do like ice cream…" the little boy ponders as he taps his chin thoughtfully. Hesitantly, he accepts Clay's awaiting hand and the blonde sports agent feels his heart melt with the simple touch of his son. "But we have to ask grandma and grandpa first."

"No way! You like vanilla too?" Logan squeals excitedly, easing the tension that has been lingering in the air since they've stepped outside of the house.

"Of course," Clay cracks a wide smile, pearly whites gleaming. "There are over a hundred flavors of ice cream here but I always choose Vanilla."

"Me too," Logan nods as he accepts his cone and licks the creamy treat.

"Have you ever played baseball before?" Clay questions as they step outside of the ice cream shop and cross the street, heading into the park.

Logan shakes his head no. "It looks fun though."

"Well…" Clay grins, steering them in the direction of the batting cage. "Would you like to try?"

Logan nods his head eagerly. "YES!" Excitement courses through the young child's veins as they approach the batting cage.

"Here," Clay smiles as he holds the bat out to Logan. "Just hold it like this," he demonstrates, holding onto the bat's handle as they wait for the ball. "It's all about timing."

The ball flies by them and smashes into the metal cage as a look of disappointment crosses Logan's face. "I suck at this…"

"It takes a lot of practice but you can do it," Clay encourages. "One more shot buddy."

The ball comes flying at them and Logan raises the bat, hitting the ball with the tip and sending it sailing into the opposite side of the metal cage. "I did it!"

"Yes you did," Clay grins from ear to ear as he wraps his arms around Logan. "I knew you could do it."

"Well, it's getting late. Your grandparents want you home right away," Clay sighs as he glances at his watch.

As they approach the front door, Logan turns to Clay and smiles. "That was the best day ever… Maybe we could do this more often?"

"Of course we can, you can call me anytime you need anything," Clay smiles as he pulls the door open.

"Thank you dad… I had so much fun today," Logan grins as he wraps his petit arms around Clay's legs.

"You're welcome son," Clay whispers, his heart melting with Logan's words and embrace.

As he retreats down the steps, towards his car, Clay can't help but smile widely. He wanted every day to be like today for the rest of his life. He was finally ready to be a father.


	16. Forgive Sounds Good I'm Not Sure I Could

Title: Forgive Sounds Good, But I'm Not Sure I Could

Pairing: Nathan/Lucas with undertones of Nathan/Dan and Lucas/Dan

He doesn't know why he's sitting here; in his brother's living room. He should be avoiding airports after his recent kidnapping. But, he finds something pulling him to Los Angeles. He needs to have this conversation with his brother.

"So…" Lucas drawls, his hands clasped together tightly as he sits in the chair opposite Nathan. "What brings you here Nate?"

"Can't just stop by and see my brother?" A smile dances across his lips as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"It's good to have you back Nate," Lucas chuckles, reaching forward and placing a hand on his brother's knee.

Nathan simply nods. "How do you feel about Dan's death?" The question comes out sharp and he almost knows what Lucas is going to say.

The blonde shrugs as he takes a long and plentiful sip of coffee before placing the pristine white mug on a coaster. "I could honestly care less," he whispers harshly, the sting of bitterness tainting his every word. The answer came as no surprise to Nathan; he was expecting those words to escape Lucas's mouth.

"What about forgiveness Luke?"

"Forgiveness?" the blonde scoffs, a passionate fire burning in his icy blue eyes. "Nate he killed our uncle Keith! He deprived me of the only father I've ever known and he deprived my mother of the happiness that she waited so long for! As far as I'm concerned Dan Scott was dead long before the day his body stopped breathing."

"He paid his dues Luke," Nathan sighs, leaning forward in his seat. "He not only paid for his sins but he genuinely learned from them and for the first time in my life I truly believe that he regrets killing Keith more than anything. He wishes that he hadn't pulled that trigger… and we've made him pay for it for a long time; depriving him of his family. Can't you find it in your heart to forgive him? We all make mistakes…"

"I can't," Lucas shakes his head furiously, a small tear slipping from the corner of his eye. "I can't do it. I don't care if he's learned from his mistakes or not… I just can't forgive him for what he's done. That day can't be undone… the pain that I felt for a long time can't be erased… the massive hole in my heart that still exists can't be fixed. And because of that, I can't forgive him. I can forgive him for abandoning me but I can't forgive him for what he did to Keith; for what he put as all through. It's just too much to forgive."

"He saved my life Lucas."

"Yes, and I will eternally be grateful that he saved my little brother's life, taking a bullet in the process," Lucas smiled lightly. "But, that doesn't erase his past mistakes."

"What he did was wrong but he did it out of anger. He was jealous of Keith… he was jealous of the life that Keith had and he thought that getting rid of Keith was the only way to make his life better… but it just made it worse and the mess that he created took a long time to clean up and the hearts that he shattered took a long time to heal… they still haven't fully. The implications of his actions will always have a harsh impact on our lives. But, he did change. He became a better person. And I think that Keith would have forgiven him. And Keith would want you to go to his funeral…"

"No," Lucas shakes his head bitterly. "He doesn't deserve me to attend his funeral. As far as I am concerned, I'm not his son; I have no respects to pay to that man. Just because he changed, doesn't make it right. It doesn't erase the pain of that faithful, tragic day."

"He took a piece of Haley that day too. When he took Keith's life, he took a piece of Haley's life as well. And she's forgiven him…"

"I'm not Haley… There are things in this world that I can forgive. I forgave Brooke for sleeping with Chris Keller. I forgave Haley for marrying you even though I was extremely upset at the time. I even forgave Dan for abandoning me, because in the end I got the better end of the deal. But, the one thing that I can't forgive him for is killing Keith. It's just not possible, the pain is too deep."

Standing up and stretching his legs, Nathan nods slowly. "I understand, but I want you to look deep inside your heart and find the strength to attend Dan's funeral. He kept a picture of Sawyer and he desperately wanted to be in her life. You don't have to forgive him but you should be there… It's what Keith would have wanted."

Shooting Lucas a weak smile, Nathan disappears out the door and Lucas can feel the tears slip from his eyes. He wasn't ready to forgive Dan… whether he was a changed man or not. Maybe someday he would. But right now, the enlarged hole in his heart was a product of Dan Scott's doing. And attending his funeral wasn't going to erase that hole… it was just going to make it worse.

AN: These last few weeks have been super crazy so I'm sorry for not updating sooner but I have two updates to hopefully make up for the inconvenience. After the last episode, when Lucas refused to come see Dan, I decided to see how Lucas might be feeling about Dan's death. I can't believe he's actually dead! I thought the man was invincible… anyways please read and review, let me know what you think.


	17. You Ruined Me

Title: You Ruined Me

Pairing: Brooke/Lucas

AN: This story is an AU take on season four. It contains themes relating to drugs, alcohol, and depression. It is a very dark piece but I really wanted to try my hand at something angsty and dark.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she sees a trace of the girl she used to be. It's faint but it's there, hidden behind the lifeless hazel eyes and dried tears that cling to her pale cheeks. Remnants of the girl she had once been only remind her of everything she's become, everything she's lost, and everything she hates. Soft pink lips form a tight line that indicates neither a smile nor a frown. The line simply indicates emptiness. Transforming into a look of pure disgust and hatred; mostly for the way her life has turned out, a hand reaches out and punches the mirror with full force, cleanly shattering the glass that reflects a miserable version of a girl who had once been happy and content with her life into tiny shards of nothing.

She refuses to shed even a single tear as her back slides down against the bathtub, her body sinking onto the cool pristine white tiles. Her life has become a completely out of control mess; fueled by drugs and alcohol. Initially, reverting back to her old habits had been a harmless way of mending her still broken heart. Now it controlled her life as she sunk further and further down.

Clutching the bottle of vodka that lay by her side, she feels her body quiver, before bringing it to her lips and chugging a good portion of the 26 ounces of poison. She should feel a burning in her throat and deep in the pit of her stomach but instead she feels nothing; nothing but numbness. She craves to feel something but she hasn't felt anything in months so the alcohol and drugs fill that void.

The bag of powdery white substance beside her seems like a good idea as she slowly dumps some on a C.D. case that Peyton had given her. She feels her veins pump with rage as she thinks of Peyton Sawyer. That bitch ruined her life. Fixing herself a line with a razor blade and a twenty dollar bill, she lets out a deep sigh. Cocaine has become her new love, replacing Lucas in her heart. "At least, you'll never leave me," she whispers painfully, before lowering the rolled up twenty dollar bill to the C.D. case and inhaling the lethal substance into her nose.

A few lines and the rest of the vodka bottle later, she feels her head grow heavy and her eyes grow tired as she begins slipping from a state of consciousness to unconsciousness. Laying her head to the side, her eyes slowly shut and everything goes black.

* * *

><p>"Brooke…" he whispers softly, knocking on her bedroom door. He isn't surprised when she doesn't answer. "Come on… I know you're mad at me but…"<p>

He waits for the witty, sarcastic reply that showcases undertones of anger and resentment. He grows worried when that reply doesn't come. Brooke would never just ignore him. She _always _has a jab to throw back at him; _always_.

He pushes the door open cautiously; afraid of what he might find on the other side. He's shocked to see nothing; the room is empty. "Brooke, where the hell are you?" he mumbles to himself, scanning the room anxiously.

The bathroom door is closed and he lets out a sigh of relief. He slowly knocks on the door only to get an empty response. "Come on Brooke… open the door. I just wanna talk." Nothing…

"Brooke! Come on, I know you're in there!" His fist beats the door harshly, receiving no response.

Getting tired of the same old reply, Lucas lets out a deep sigh before bringing his fist to the door one more time. "Brooke, open the door, now!"

When he is greeted with the same reply as before, he knows something is wrong. Bringing his leg up to ninja kick the door, he feels the wood cave in beneath him as the door falls down.

He brings his fingers to his mouth when he sees her sitting with her back against the bathtub, her head lulled to the side. An empty vodka bottle, a bag of what looks like cocaine, and a container with a few pills in it, lay by her side. Shards of glass that he guesses came from the broken mirror are splayed across the floor, resting at her feet.

"Brooke!" he yells, bending down to touch her. Her skin is cold and pale; almost lifeless. "I'm gonna get you some help honey," he promises, pulling his cellphone out quickly.

"No…" she whispers inaudibly; her voice weak, like the life has been drained from it. "Please don't."

He shuts the cellphone and looks at her with pleading, sympathetic eyes. "Brooke, you need help…"

"I'm fine… this happens all the time," she mutters softly, her eyes slowly opening.

"Brooke…"

"I don't want your damn help!" she snaps harshly, her hazel eyes forming a glare.

"What happened to you, Brooke?" he whispers painfully, reaching out to touch her soft cheek with his rough hand.

"Life happened," she whispers, bitterness tainting her words. "You happened. Peyton happened. You and Peyton happened."

"This is about me and Peyton?" he is surprised to uncover this information.

"Partially…" she shrugs.

"What do you mean partially Brooke?"

"I started reverting back to my old ways after we broke up because I was hurt," she shrugs casually. "Then, I saw you and Peyton together and it broke me… that is when I went off the deep end."

"But, I thought you…you…" Lucas stutters as he tries to process what is happening. "You gave us your blessing."

"Yeah," she nods dryly. "What was I supposed to do? The boy that I loved was in love with my best friend. I wasn't going to stop two people who love each other from being together. The heart wants what the heart wants."

"So, you sacrificed me for Peyton?"

"I did what I had to do… even if it hurt me."

"But if you loved me you wouldn't have…"

"I did love you Lucas!" she yells, standing up slowly, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. "When your best friend tells you that she loves your boyfriend and you know that they are destined to be together, you get scared and you run! I knew that as soon as you found out about Peyton's feelings, I would just be a distant memory so I let you go while I had the chance. I wasn't going to be the footnote again."

"Wait a second, what did you just say?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said," Lucas mumbles, throwing his head back in the air. "Peyton told you that she was in love with me?"

"Yeah… I… God, I shouldn't have opened my mouth. What was I thinking?"

"This changes everything," he mutters to himself. "How could she do that to you? To us?"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing," Brooke shrugs, her eyes suddenly tearing away from Lucas's. "You stopped fighting for me Lucas. I honestly don't think you ever really did. But, you never stopped fighting for Peyton."

"Brooke I…"

"It's over," she mumbles. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Brooke I… I want to help."

"No you don't Lucas, you never loved me and you never cared about me!"

"That's not true, Brooke. I loved you so much and I will always care about you, you have to know that."

"You loved the idea of loving me," she states for him, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly. "So you can stop trying to play hero to ease your own guilt, and return back to your precious Peyton."

"Brooke, I'm serious. I want to help you, I hate seeing you like this," he whispers, brushing a strand of her hair away from her eyes.

"No…" she shakes her head angrily; a fire burning in her hazel eyes. "Just go… leave me alone!" she screams, pushing him away from her hard. He loses his footing and stumbles back. His hands grip onto the edge of the bathtub as he pulls himself up.

"Brooke… please?"

She rolls up the sleeve of her shirt and shoves her wrist in his face. "I hate you Lucas," she yells distastefully.

He examines the deep cuts that cover her wrist and he feels a tear prick at the corner of his eye. "Brooke…"

"You did this to me!" she screams, her voice rasping with anger and hatred. "And I don't think I can ever hate someone as much as I hate you. You ruined my life!"

"I didn't ruin your life Brooke," she shakes his head as he runs his hand gently along the cuts on her wrist. "You ruined it."

"It was your fault. I was so hurt when you and Peyton started dating. And the worst part is you didn't even see it. You were so wrapped in Peyton that you didn't even think about how I might be feeling. You didn't see through the fake smile and you didn't even notice my change in behavior. It was like you just cut me from your life."

"You cut me from your life too, Brooke!"

"Yeah, I did… because I couldn't stand to see you with Peyton. Lucas you never fought for me because you were too busy fighting for Peyton. You forgot about me and I drowned because of you. And because of you, I hate myself."

"Brooke… I'm so sorry…"

"I hate myself so much."

"Then change."

"It's not that easy Lucas… I just want to feel something again… I just want to be somebody again."

"You need help Brooke…"

"I know… But it's just so hard… I don't know if I can."

"I'll help you…"

"But what about Peyton?"

"What about her? All that matters right now is you… and getting you help. The rest can wait."

"Come here," Lucas whispers as he wraps Brooke in his arms. "It's gonna be okay."

She clings to his chest tightly, letting the tears fall from her eyes like rain, bleeding tracks of mascara down her pale face.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. And tomorrow, we will figure out the game plan."

She nods as he stands up, ushering her into her bedroom. He pulls the covers over her and bends down to tenderly kiss her forehead. "You're gonna get better."

She nods weakly. "Have a good sleep Brooke… I'm just going to be right over…"

"Stay," she whispers meekly, scooting over and patting the spot beside her on the bed. "Please?"

He nods, slipping in under the silk sheets. "Thank you," she whispers, grabbing his arm and placing it protectively over her stomach.

"Anything for you Brooke," he smiles, stroking her stomach lightly with his hand.

As she begins to drift off into sleep, Lucas is left staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Brooke…" he whispers softly, only to get no reply. "I was stupid for not seeing anything that was going on with you. I know you always wanted me to fight for you and to save you. This time I'm going to do both. I love you, Brooke Davis."

She cracks an eye slightly, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. She'd finally heard the words she had desperately wanted to hear escape his mouth for so long.

"I love you too Lucas Scott… more than you'll ever know," she whispers so inaudibly that he can't hear.

* * *

><p>AN: I am so sorry that I haven't updated in like forever but you know how life can be. I've been really busy as of late but things are finally starting to slow down a bit so hopefully I will have more time to update sooner.<p> 


	18. Ships in the Night

**Title: Ships In The Night**

**Pairing: Brooke/Julian**

_We're just fumbling through the grey_

_Trying to find a heart that's not walking away_

His chest rises and falls slowly with every breath. She loves watching him sleep, he always looks so peaceful, as he draws in slow jagged breaths and exhales them, whilst a content smile never leaves his face. As the moonlight illuminates his handsome face, carefully outlining his feature in vivid detail, she feels her heart break painfully. He's perfect. She's not. They're like fire and gasoline, a toxic combination that equals one thing; danger.

She's falling in love with him but she'll _never_ admit it. She's _too guarded_; _too vulnerable_; _too fucked up._ Her heart is fragile. It has been broken and scarred so many times that it can't even surivive the smallest of cracks. It's covered in battle scars and wounds; reminders of a love now lost.

She sighs deeply, wondering why she is even here. He leaves tomorrow, back to LA. And she's not going with him. Of course, she hasn't mustered up the courage to tell him yet.

She's afraid so yet again she runs from love. It's what she always does. It's all she knows how to do.

"I love you Julian Baker," she whispers inaudibly into the dark, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. She wishes she could say them to more than just the darkness that surrounds them. But, she can't. Her heart is still inflicted with too much pain to let someone get that close to her again. She throws her legs over the side of the bed and lets them drop to the floor as she begins collecting the clothing that she ripped feverishly from her body last night in a moment of passion.

She doesn't even leave a note. She just leaves, silently closing the door to his hotel room in an attempt to not wake him up from his peaceful slumber. Because when he awakes in the morning, he's going to be anything but peaceful.

Xxxx

"Fuck!" A disgruntled sigh escapes cherry red lips as a petit hand runs its' fingers through disheveled chestnut brown locks. The brunette has done nothing but toss and turn in a restless slumber since she left the comfort of Julian's arms. It doesn't feel right being in this bed; not without Julian. Finally, she'd found the first guy to make her heart flutter since _him _and she runs away. All because she is scared. Suddenly, she doesn't feel like the strong and fiesty woman that once fought for everything she loved with a fierce determination and passion.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, she walks into the kitchen, in desperate need of a coffee or something to wake her from this horrible nightmare.

Amused blue eyes stare up at her, a perfectly shaped eyebrow shooting up as a condescending smirk is shot her way. "Sleep good?"

Brooke simply rolls her eyes, she doesn't even have the energy to muster a comeback to the rebellious teenager and she_ always_ has a jab to throw back at her.

"You look like shit," Sam finally smirks, her voice laced thick with a patronzing tone. She hands Brooke a pristine white mug filled with coffee as she sits at the kitchen table.

"Language," Brooke warns as she takes a seat directly across from Sam, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes as she takes a long, much needed sip of the hot liquid.

"I thought you were sleeping at Julian's last night," the teenager kinks an eyebrow as a grin stretches across her face. _Great, it's interrogation time._

A heavy, weighted sigh escapes her lips as she exhales deeply. She needs to tell Sam about Julian's proposal as much as she doesn't want too. She can't run from everything.

"We need to talk…" Her voice is detached, void of emotion, as she swirls the black liquid around in her cup absentmindedly.

"Oh my god, you're pregnant aren't you?" Sam interrupts, a smile inhabiting her face.

"What?" Brooke blinks, confusion twisting across her face as she tries to register what Sam just blurted out. Pregnant, where the hell did that come from? Sure, the teenager had always been very forward but pregnant, really? You don't just ask someone if they're expecting."No!" she quickly shakes her head as she watches Sam's smile fall.

"Well then… what is it?" the teenager asks impatiently as she stands up and places her coffee mug in the sink, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Cause, I'm gonna be late for school if you don't hurry up and just tell me."

"Julian's going back to LA…" she breathes out, her breath shaking with every word. She didn't even realize how badly that it was hurting her until she had said the words aloud; they twisted like a knife that was mercilessly stabbing away at her heart.

"What?" Sam's face falls as she fights to blink back the tears that threaten to fall from her mascara coated blue eyes. "I'm so sorry…I…"

"He wants us to go with him…"

Sam's lips curl up to form a wide smile. "Well you could have just gone with that," she rolls her eyes dramatically as she wraps her arms around Brooke's shoulders. "Guess, I should start packing when I get home from school, huh? When do we leave?"

"Julian leaves tonight…" She sees how happy Sam is and she hates that she's about to tear her dreams of the three of them being a family down.

"Julian? Well, when do _we_ leave?" Sam repeats, staring Brooke hard in the face as she emphasizes the word we. She has a feeling that Brooke isn't telling her something.

"We're not…"

"What do you mean we're not leaving?"

"I said we're not…"

"I know what you said," she snaps, disappointment crawling across her face, instantly replacing its' previously prominent smile. "Brooke, you love Julian, or at least you could. We could finally be a family… like you've always wanted."

"I can't Sam…" Brooke's voice cracks as the tears fall freely, rolling down her cheeks like a flooding river. Once they start falling, she can't stop the cascading of them. "My life is here. Your life is here. I can't just uproot my entire life because Julian wants me too. Tree Hill is home…"

"What about love?" Sam protests, her hands firmly planted on her hips as her blue eyes narrow into accusing slits of anger.

"It wasn't meant to be anyways…" She feels wrong saying this because she doesn't want to believe herself but if she wants to ever most past this, she has to make herself believe the lies that fall so easily off of her tongue.

"You don't know that!"

"I just have the feeling. We're staying here Sam, no arguments."

"Fine," the young brunette scoffs, bitterness tainting her words. "How's Julian taking the news?"

"He doesn't know…"

"Brooke! You have to tell him… It's not fair. He invited you to LA with him, the least you can do is at least tell him that you aren't going."

Xxxx

_Like ships in the night_

_You keep passing me by_

_We're just wasting time_

_Trying to prove who's right_

_And if it all goes crashing into the sea_

_If it's just you and me_

_Trying to find the light_

_Like ships in the night_

She takes a deep breath as she steps forward. Her heart aches with every agonizing step that she takes. Her breath feels strangled and her heart feels broken. She never wants to feel this way again. She's suffocating.

She spots him from afar. He's standing in line, rocking back and forth anxiously on the balls of his feet. "It's now or never," she mumbles to herself as she makes her way towards him slowly as if she is trying to stall what is about to come. She doesn't want to break his heart. But, she has no choice. He deserves better.

Blue eyes lock on hazel and a wide smile breaks out across his incredibly handsome face. Suddenly, leaving those iridescently beautiful blue eyes and ought-to-be illegal grin seem like a bad idea. He jogs over to her, sweeping her up in his arms and twirling her around.

"Hey…" he smiles once he puts her back on her feet, his forehead resting against hers.

"Hey…" she reciprocates her voice barely audible. She wants to look anywhere but into those eyes; those eyes that she finds warmth, love, and safety in.

"I thought you weren't going to come," he whispers softly, stroking her cheek with his finger, his touch burning her soft skin. She has to tell him now because she isn't sure how much more of his soft, gentle touch she can take before she caves.

"I'm here…" she whispers, struggling to find the right words. She supposes in a situation like this there are no right words. It's all about to come tumbling down, everything they've spent the last few months building up; the trust, the promises and the unconditional love. The soft reassurances of a beautiful future now seem like broken, empty promises.

"Where are your suitcases?" he asks frantically, his eyes searching for her bags. "Where's Sammy?"

Brooke lets out a strangled breath as she pushes herself away from him and looks into his eyes cautiously. "She's not coming…"

Silence consumes them. He looks at her sadly, his eyes nearly enough to break her. And she hates what she is about to do. It literally makes her sick to her stomach. She never wanted things to turn out like this. It wasn't how she'd planned it.

"And neither am I…"

His smile drops, his eyes cloud with desolation and his face grows pale. The silence between them grows deeper, it's defeaning. It's almost as if they are both afraid to speak; to move. Their eyes stay locked on each other, their breathing jagged and heavy.

"I…" she cracks, an attempt to break the silence that is driving her mad. She lifts her hand, using it to cover her mouth. She can't even speak; that's how damaged she is.

"Guess, that explains why there are no suitcases or Sam," he attempts to shoot her a weak smile but she can see the pain that lies beneath his eyes. He is masking that pain because he wants her to feel more at ease with the situtation. That's how he's always been. He does everything for her rather than himself. "I get it," he nods slowly. "You're not ready."

She looks at him sadly and nods, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't want to hurt you… I-I never wanted it to be like this. It wasn't my intention, I swear."

"I know you didn't," he gives her a sad, heart-breaking smile. His flight is called overhead and she knows that this is the end; the end of something that could have been great. "I have to go," he whispers, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. She doesn't want to let go, she wants to relish this moment forever. She wants to picture her life with him in it, the two of them conquering the world together. But, she can't.

He looks at her sadly before turning around and walking away, heading back to where he came from but not to where he belongs.

"Julian?"

"Yeah?" he turns around. She catches a glimpse of the man that she fell desperately and irrevocably in love with. Her heart screams at her to tell him how she really feels. Her head tells her to apologize. Her head almost always wins.

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, me too," he nods as he disappears from her view, fading quickly. She tries to hold it together but she is falling apart in the middle of the Tree Hill airport. Lucas had spoken those same words to her so many years ago. And that was the last time that she had let love go. But this time, the pain hurt much worse, the cut was much deeper. This wasn't just two high school kids who thought they were in love; this was two adults who were deeply in love but just too scared and broken to admit it.

_Someday, you'll be ready to let someone in. I guess today just isn't that day…_

His words ring through her ears as the image of him walking away burns in the back of her mind. She remembers their first fight and how far they've come since then; only to have it all ripped away from them. She really thought they'd get through it all; the insecurities and the trust issues.

"Maybe someday you'll be ready to let someone in. I guess today just isn't that day," she repeats inaudibly to herself as she turns and runs out of the airport to the safety of her car. She never wants to feel this pain again. She really hopes that day comes soon.

AN: Okay, so honestly I'm not terribly fond with this story but as many times as I've tried to tweak it, I've learned that I just can't perfect it and it's not going to get any better than this. I love Brulian and as much as I hate to admit it, they've replaced Brucas in my heart. I know it's been super long since I've updated but I've had a terrible case of writer's block and then suddenly inspiration hit me while I was re-watching all of the newer seasons.


	19. Happy at Last

Title: Happy at Last

Character(s): Brooke Davis, Victoria Davis, and Ted Davis AKA The Davis Family.

It's weird seeing them like this; in love. They're sitting on the couch, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and he's whispering something in her ear, causing her to giggle. Her mother never giggles, or at least she never used to. She's happy, she really is. She's finally gotten the life that she wanted; the boy, the babies, and now a completed family. But, it's still weird. She's become so used to the bitter fights, drunken death threats, and flying glass. It's strange to think that only ten years ago they were too busy throwing empty vases at each other and blaming one another for their own problems to even notice her. Now they were the perfect parents, the ones that she'd always wished for. But she can't help but wonder why the sudden change of heart?

FLASHBACK

_"Where the hell were you?"_

_"That's none of your damn business Victoria."_

_"Oh, I think it is, considering that we are married. Let me guess, once again your golf game and a trip to the casino and bar was more important than us? Remember, today is Brooke's birthday. We were supposed to have a family dinner. But where were you? Oh yeah… you weren't here."_

_Her mother is angry, she can tell by the tone of voice. She lets out a deep sigh as she swings her legs over the side of the bed, dropping them onto the hardwood floor with a soft thud. Yet again, she can't sleep. It's been like this since she can remember. They've never been a real family. Golf games, work, and sleeping around with other women are her father's life. Shopping and going on expensive trips and cruises are her mother's life. Neither of them seems to put her before anything in their lives. She pushes the door open quietly as she tip-toes down the hall, perching herself on the top of the stairs._

_"Like you spend that much time with her Victoria!" Her father yells angrily as he tries to push past her mother. But she stops him._

_"Fuck you!" she spits venomously, a vicious fire growing deep in her solid, usually emotionless brown eyes._

_"Just because you remember one birthday doesn't make you a good mother. How many times have you dropped her off with the nanny to go on a trip?"_

_"Ted…"_

_"That's what I thought," he growls with the venom of a snake. "Now move!"_

_"God, you reek of booze," her mother complains, pinching her nose in disgust. The stench is so strong that even Brooke can smell it from her spot on the top of the stairs._

_"And the years definitely aren't doing any justice on you," her father snorts, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I can see that you're still the same bitter woman that you were when I met you."_

_"Well then why'd you marry me?" she questions back bitterly. Truth be told, Brooke's always wondered the exact same thing. Why did they get married if they hated each other so much?_

_"I think you know the answer to that. It definitely wasn't because of those," he snickers, motioning towards her breasts._

_"Hey!" Victoria protests loudly, glancing down at her chest. "My breasts are very nice."_

_"Maybe if they weren't fake…"_

_Most people would find their relentless bickering amusing or maybe even downright hilarious. But, Brooke just found it annoying._

_Victoria huffs as she rolls her eyes._

_"I married you because of Brooke," Ted shrugs finally as he looks at her mother without emotion. "I wanted a son to take on the family name and company. You know that."_

_"But why did you stay with me?" She asks, emphasizing the word stay. "When Brooke turned out to be a girl that should have been you're cue to run._

_"I couldn't have a bastard child Victoria," he chuckles with amusement. "What would America think if the owner of Davis Enterprises had a bastard child? That would have ruined my reputation."_

_"Of course it would have."_

_"Why did you marry me?" he asks suddenly, his eyes clouded with question._

_"I married you because I wanted the money," she admits, looking away from him. "I was going to leave you but then I found out about Brooke. I never wanted a damn child Ted! But you insisted on having a boy and when I was pregnant, you just jumped into any bed that you could. Then, when Brooke was born you became even worse, resenting me for the fact that we did not have a boy like you wanted!"_

_"So now you're blaming you're lack of parenting on me?" Her father asks with a chuckle. "Well fuck you Victoria! I didn't pin that child on you. You had the option of giving her up for adoption."_

_She feels a tear prick at the corner of her eye. So her parents hadn't even wanted her. What was more disappointing than that? Words couldn't even describe the shame or embarassment that she was currently feeling._

_"You ruined my fucking life Ted! What about my dreams? I had a great life planned out for me and you ruined my shot at it so you could have yours!"_

_"Stop being such a bitter bitch. Red really isn't a good shade on you," her father growls ruthlessly._

_SMASH_

_The glass connects with the wall behind Ted as he ducks, narrowly missing the vase that her mother has thrown at her father. As it shatters into a million tiny shards, it reminds Brooke of her family; broken._

_"You're fucking crazy Victoria!"_

_"You're a fucking worthless asshole!" her mother hisses back with a passionate anger burning her tone."You don't even have the capacity in your heart to love someone other than yourself!"_

_"Neither do you, bitch!" her father screams angrily._

_SMASH_

_Another vase connects with the wall; this time behind Victoria. "Fuck you! That was an expensive vase!" her mother cries out as she bends down beside the glass._

_"Oh of course you would only acknowledge the fact that the vase was expensive… not that it belonged to your grandmother," Ted hisses as he pushes past her, dismissing her with his hand. "This discussion is over."_

_He slams the bathroom door and Brooke struggles to blink back her tears. She didn't think that it was possible for that much hate to surround two people. But she knows it will only be a matter of time before world war 3 is re-enacted in her living room. And the worst part? She blames herself._

_END FLASHBACK_

"What?" her mother questions softly, as she smiles at Brooke, who is staring off into space.

"I was just thinking," Brooke smiles weakly, breaking away from her thoughts. "About how happy I am," Brooke smiles. That flashback is now a distant memory, shoved deep into the corner of her mind, along with the rest of her past. "How happy I am with the way that my life has turned out. How happy we all are."

"Well I'm glad that you're happy Cookie," her father smiles genuinely. "We both are."

Victoria nods and smiles.

It seems like that was a whole other lifetime ago. Sometimes she misses the past but she's here now. And here is good. She's happier than she's ever been before and she owes a lot of that to the two people sitting before her. It's taken them a while to get there, a lot longer than she's liked but they have a lot of missed time to make up for.

AN: I suck, I know. But to make up for my lack of updating, I am presenting you with a double update. After watching everything kind of fall into place with Brooke and her family, I felt the need to post this. I really can't believe that OTH is finally over after all these years but if anything I'm glad that Brooke finally got her wish, even if its taken alot of time and alot of pain to get there!


	20. Double Love

Title: Double Love

Pairing(s): Brooke/Lucas, Lucas/Peyton

AN: The italics resemble excerpts from Lucas's book "An Unkindess of Ravens". The story is told solely through Lucas's POV and takes place circa end of season five (a while after the Lucas/Lindsey almost wedding). We all know that Lucas was still in love with Peyton but is it possible that he could have still been in love with Brooke to some degree? I think so. His love for Peyton just outshone the slight feelings I think he could have also felt for Brooke.

xxxx

He's over her. He knows that he and Lindsey are history and that the love that he thought he had for her wasn't real. It wasn't like the love he'd felt in high school. It was practical and it was safe. But, it wasn't one of those epic, head over heels, butterflies in the stomach, fall crazily in love kind of romances.

The tequila slides down his throat, burning on its way down. But it's a good feeling, a good burn; it numbs the pain that he is experiencing in this very moment.

Four years ago it all seemed so clear. He was in love, he was ready to conquer to world, and he was so sure of himself. His life had seemed mapped out for him, perfectly, and he liked it that way. Now things were so fucked up; he didn't even know who he was anymore or who he was supposed to be. Life had somehow become a complicated, fucked up puzzle full of missing pieces that had yet to be found.

TRIC is hopping tonight. Bodies are crammed together tightly as people dance and laugh and drink. It reminds him of old times, of the way that his life used to be and the way that it should still be.

Haley and Nathan seem happy; happier than they've been in a long time. A smile creeps across his face as he watches them across the bar. After everything, they are finally in a good place. He praises them, he really does, because he knows that in a situation like theirs it's easier to give up. But they didn't give up. They fought through the obstacles and the pain and came out even stronger and more in love than before. Mouth seems to be getting along quite well with Millicent, Brooke's assistant. He wishes that some of the happiness that seems to be infecting everyone else would find its way to him.

His eyes cut over to Peyton Sawyer. She is sitting on a barstool talking to Mia but her eyes seem to be wandering aimlessly around the sea of people that surround them. She looks lost and broken. In part, he hates that he caused her to be that way. He knew that she still loved him and a part of him still loved her, in fact a part of him would always love her.

She still looks the same as she did in high school; a mess of blonde curls, green eyes as dull as razorblades, a tangled mass of long and slender limbs, a faded black Guns N' Roses t-shirt adorning her torso-in fact he remembers that shirt from high school-underneath a worn in leather jacket, thin ripped skinny jean clad legs, scuffed up black original Chuck Taylor converse's dangling from the barstool, and a distant, broody smile curved upon soft lips. She hasn't changed one bit.

He remembers the first time that he ever met Peyton Sawyer. The memory is still clear in his mind along with many other memories that he shares with the tortured blonde artist.

_She was beautiful, complicating, distant, tortured, blunt, rebellious, and witty all rolled into one. She was a riddle wrapped in black; one that nobody could seem to unravel. I may have only been thirteen at the time but when I first laid eyes on Peyton Sawyer, I knew that I was hooked. We shared English class together. She sat beside me, but her nose was always buried in that tattered old sketchbook, her pencil moving carefully across the page, headphones jammed tightly in her ears. She always kept her work hidden with her arm. Even if I squinted to catch a glimpse, I couldn't see a thing. One day she looked up from her work, casting me a sidelong glance. She didn't say a word, she just stared at me with a certain sadness welled up in those beautifully tortured green eyes._

_There was something about her that I couldn't quite grasp. She was so intriguing, so beautiful, yet dark at the same time. That day would be the beginning of a four year long crush. Even though we never spoke one word to each other in those four years, I would watch her from a distance, trying to gather as much information about her as I could by simply looking at her. A certain sadness was reflected in those eyes; one that I would later learn was acquired from a lifetime of pain inflicted upon her at such a young and tender age._

_I had then made it my mission to save Peyton Sawyer-from everything. I didn't want her to experience anymore of what was causing her such misery-she didn't deserve it. I wanted to shield her, to protect, from the evil in this world._

_We were sixteen when she officially let me into her world. It was a long, dark, and windy road filled with tumultuous twists and turns. But somehow we got there. We built a solid friendship, dated other people, and even fell in love with other people. But somehow, at 17 we managed to find a way back to each other. Our torrid love affair was not as easy as people seem to think it was. Other people sacrificed their own happiness for the sake of Peyton and I-the whole town believed that we were meant to be together. It was the night of the state championship that I realized I was in love with Peyton Sawyer and I probably always would be. After watching the orange ball swish into the white mesh effortlessly, signaling that we-the Tree Hill Ravens-were the North Carolina State Champions, I reached a moment of clarity. I was in love with Peyton Sawyer-I always had been and I always would be. A wise person once asked me, "Who do you want standing next to you when all of your dreams come true?" At the time I believed that it was someone else, but in that moment I was certain that the answer to that question had been in front of me all along. It was Peyton Sawyer and it always had been. After all true love prevails all._

_Somewhere along the way we fell out of love with other people and in love with each other. And I couldn't have been happier. Peyton Sawyer made me believe in the beauty and the pain of music and art and love. As she once put it 'every song ends. Is that any reason not to enjoy the music?'_

A pain of nostalgia washes over him as he watches her. She isn't the same girl he fell in love with all of those years ago and he knows that. But, a part of him wants to know the woman that she has become. A part of him would always love Peyton Sawyer and be dedicated to saving her and protecting her from the harsh world, no matter what the future held for them. In that very moment, he knew that he was in still in love with Peyton Sawyer.

His eyes begin to stray and suddenly they cut over to Brooke Davis, who is leaning over the bar countertop, flirting with Owen. He doesn't know why but it makes his blood boil. Brooke Davis is the exact opposite of Peyton Sawyer but in a good way. His relationship with Brooke Davis was much different than his relationship with Peyton Sawyer but yet again in a good way. She still resembled the Brooke Davis that he knew in high school. She was different but there were still remnants of who she had once been, hence the constant flirting with Owen. Her chocolate brown locks which once spilled beneath her shoulders in soft waves were cut short, barely falling to her shoulders and dyed a slightly lighter shade of brown, her hazel eyes still showcased an iridescently beautiful array of color but the sadness that lurked behind them was still present to Lucas, infectious dimples graced her soft cheeks as a heart melting smile etched across her cherry red lips, skin tight jeans hugged her legs and accentuated her curves, a revealing white top covered her toned torso, and long black heels covered her feet. Brooke Davis was still as beautiful as he remembered, if not even more so. And she had changed more than anyone he had ever known in four short years.

He still remembers the day that he met Brooke Davis and the complicated love affair that they had tumbled into so quickly. The memories of their burned romance are still imprinted fondly in the corner of his mind.

_She was beautiful, brave, brilliant, kind hearted, strong, independent, selfless, confidant, passionate, determined, stubborn, brutally honest, and spontaneous. Brooke Davis was one of the most complex, yet endearing and memorable people I had ever met. When I began my infatuation with Peyton Sawyer, I also noticed Brooke Davis. She wore far too much make up for a thirteen year old and she flirted with boys way more openly than any other eighth grader I had ever met. She was confidant and beautiful, which made her the most popular girl in school-not to mention she was also rich and so far out of my league that it wasn't even funny._

_When I was sixteen my world collided with Brooke Davis's and they collided hard and fast. For the first time in my life, I fell in love. I wish that I could tell you that our relationship was beautiful and scripted from a fairytale romance but sadly I can't. Our romance was filled with ups and downs, fears and trust issues and alot of pain and tragedy mixed with happiness and a wonderful feeling that I had never know until now. She was vulnerable and I was indecisive. We were nothing alike-I was quiet and reserved, always consumed deep within my own thoughts and confined to my own little world and she was spontaneous and full of energy, always living life to its very fullest, she always believed that there was so much more out there than just the life that we were living. She had become my addiction; I just couldn't get enough of her and my infatuation with Peyton had slowly faded and turned into my obsession with Brooke. We hit more bumps than most relationships hit in a lifetime during the short time that we were together. But, I'd never felt more alive or carefree. I hurt Brooke in ways that even I can't fathom. I don't know why I did it but my heart was so confused, it didn't know what it wanted. But hurting Brooke was the last thing on my mind. Yet, I still did it anyway._

_My world shattered the day that she broke up with me; the last day that we were together officially. She told me that she had suddenly stopped missing me. I couldn't think of the right words to say in that situation-I suppose that there were no right words in a situation like that because when somebody tells you that they suddenly stop missing you, there's not much you can do. However, in that moment I would have given anything to make her stay, to convince her that she was making a mistake. But to this day, I still maintain the belief that she was sacrificing me for the sake of Peyton because she couldn't stand to have her heart stomped on yet again. And in so many ways, I respect her decision. She is probably the most loyal person that I know, just for that act alone. For a long time, she believed that she was always the footnote in me and Peyton's love story, the roadblock standing the way, the distraction. But she never was. Brooke and I had our own love story, it was just a lot different and a lot more complicated and hard to understand than me and Peyton's._

_Brooke Davis changed my life in so many ways and there was a time when I really did picture her next to me when all of my dreams came true. It wasn't that I didn't love her enough, because I did. I just didn't fight enough to keep her. I would never regret my relationship with Brooke because it brought me here to all of this and I truly do believe that without her in my life, I would never be the man that I am today. And I can never thank her enough for that._

_Brooke Davis, she was fiercely independent, beautiful, brilliant, and brave. Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday, she's already changed mine, and I'm not sure she even knows it yet. _

He smiles as he thinks back on his relationship with Brooke. It had been way too complicated to ever work out and it still would be. She's a great friend and he couldn't stand to lose her. But, a part of him wants more. A part of him misses the way that they used to be and a part of him silently wonders what could have been. He knows that they could have been great together, they've just never been given the chance. In a way he would always love Brooke Davis, a part of his heart would always belong to her, his first love. After all people that are meant to be together always find their way in the end right?

As she stares back and forth between the two girls that still consume the majority of his heart, he can't help but wonder, is it possible to love two people at the same time?

AN: I've been re-watching alot of the older OTH episodes in my spare time, hoping for inspiration, particularily seasons 5-7. I am not against Leyton in any way. They aren't my favorite couple but I can't deny them of their love story and I'm not upset that they ended up together. And even though I love Brulian, Brucas was the first TV couple that I ever fell in love with so no matter what a part of me will always ship them and wonder what could have been. I always wondered in season five if Lucas still harbored some feelings for Brooke beneath the obvious feelings he still held for Peyton and I wanted to explore that because let's face it no matter what, the BLP triangle will never fully be laid to rest no matter how happy they are because it was such a core part of the show for so many years. Anyways, I was really hesitant about this one so I just hope I did okay.


End file.
